A large number of commercial, industrial, agricultural, and wood products are subject to microbiological attack which reduces or destroys their economic value. Examples of materials that may be subject to microbiological degradation are surface coatings, wood, agricultural seed, leather and plastics, including flexible plastics. The temperature at which these products are stored and their intrinsic characteristics make these products susceptible to the growth of microorganisms. These microorganisms can be introduced during the manufacturing of these products by exposure to air, tanks, pipes, equipment, and humans and/or during their use from multiple openings and reclosures of packaged products and by the introduction of contaminated objects to stir or remove material.
Aqueous systems containing organic materials are also highly subject to microbiological attack. Such aqueous systems include latexes, surfactants, dispersants, stabilizers, thickeners, adhesives, starches, waxes, proteins, emulsifying agents, detergents, cellulose products, and resins formulated in aqueous solutions, emulsions or suspensions. These systems frequently contain relatively large amounts of water causing them to be well-suited environments for microbiological growth and thus attack and degradation. Microbiological degradation of aqueous systems containing organic materials may manifest itself as a variety of problems, such as loss of viscosity, gas formation, objectionable odors, decreased pH, emulsion breaking, color change, and gelling.
Another objectionable phenomenon occurring in industrial process systems involving water is slime formation. Slime consists of matted deposits of microorganisms, fibers and debris. It may be stringy, pasty, rubbery, tapioca-like, or hard, and may have a characteristic undesirable odor that is different from that of the liquid suspensions in which it is formed. The microorganisms involved in its formation are primarily different species of spore-forming and nonspore-forming bacteria, particularly capsulated forms of bacteria which secrete gelatinous substances that envelop or encase the cells. Slime microorganisms also include filamentous bacteria, filamentous fungi of the mold type, yeasts, and yeast-like organisms. Slime reduces yields in paper production and causes plugging and other problems in water systems.
Some N-dodecyl heterocyclic compounds are known to have pharmacological uses. For example, N-dodecylmorpholine and N-dodecylimidazole, have been shown to be lysosomotropic detergents which are useful a anti-cancer compounds and spermicides. See R. A. Firestone and J. M. Pisano, "Solution Behavior of Surfactants: Theoretical Applied Aspects" [Proc. Int. Symposium], Meeting Date 1980, Volume 2, 1455-64, edited by Mittal, K. L. and Fendler, Eleaner J. N-Dodecylimidazole has been disclosed to be an inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis in rat liver and an inhibitor of epoxidation of aldrin of rat liver. See, respectively, K.H. Baggeley et al., Biochemical Pharmacology, 24 (20), 1975, 1902-3 and C.F. Wilkinson et al., Biochemical Pharmacology, 23 (17), 1974, 2377-86. N-Dodecylmorpholine has been reported to help the transport of anionic drugs. See N. Barker and J. Hadgraft, International Journal of Pharmacology, 8 (3), 193-202. Other pharmacological uses for N-dodecylated heterocyclic compounds have also been mentioned in the literature.
However, the utility and effectiveness of N-dodecyl heterocyclic compounds as industrial microbicides and preservatives has not been known or appreciated in the prior art.